SMILE

Small Incision Lenticule Extraction is a new generation of laser vision correction, receiving FDA approval in the United States in September 2016.

Contrary to LASIK, in SMILE, there is no longer a need to create a thin corneal flap to expose the underlying cornea for treatment.

Instead, using the VisuMax femtosecond laser by Carl Zeiss Meditech, a much smaller 4.0 mm arc-shaped incision is made, and a disc-shaped corneal tissue – called a lenticule – is created within the cornea. This lenticule is then removed through the small incision, thus achieving the result of flattening the cornea to correct for nearsightedness.

SMILE laser vision correction can treat up to -10.00D of nearsightedness. According to Carl Zeiss Meditech, there have been more than 1 million SMILE procedures completed worldwide with little complications so far.

Here are some advantages of the SMILE procedure:

great visual outcome 88% had uncorrected vision of 20/20 or better based on one study of 328 people

less risk of dry eye symptoms

less risk of needing an enhancement or second treatment in cases of high nearsightedness

Some Limitations of SMILE:

At the moment, the procedure can only be used to treat nearsightedness in U.S. and Canada. This will likely change in the future though, because in Europe, SMILE is used to also treat up to -5.00D of astigmatism.

If an enhancement is required after a SMILE treatment to correct for large enough remaining nearsightedness, PRK is more likely to be used for this touch-up.

To learn more about whether SMILE is right for you, contact us today for a complimentary Laser Vision Correction Consultation.